Oil mill



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,168

R. c. HOPKINS I OIL MILL Fild April 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gin-12m Ho t Aw! Gbop/iz'na Nov. 6,

1,690,168 R. C. HOPKINS OIL MILL Filed April 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Illllll v 77:5 170 I! 174 I I [7d 3mm 2 f3 & zC/zb 61' F494. 0 ,0 1w

Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES ROBERT C. HOPKINS, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO.

OIL MILL.

Application fled April 3, 1926. Serial No. 98,586.

The invention relates to mills for grinding or breaking up the sludge and heavy particles of oil used for fuel in oil fired furnaces and the like.

In using fuel oil, for firing furnaces, considerable trouble has been experienced by heavy particles ofoil and sludge'stopping up valves and burners and interfering generally with the circulating lines. In the past it has been customary to remove these heavy particles and sludge by providing screens in the circulating lines but these screens must be frequently removed and the heavy particles and sludge cleaned therefrom or in a short time the line will become stopped.

In carrying out the present invention all of the heavy particles of oil and sludge are grbund in the improved oil mill not only preventin the waste of these heavier portions of the oil but also preventing stopping up of the lines and the loss of time attendant upon such trouble.

The'object of the invention is to provide an oil mill comprising a vertical chamber into which the oil to be treated is admittedat a point s aced from the top of the chamber and su stantially tangential thereto, the grinding mechanism comprising a plurality of rolling elements located in the bottom of the chamber and arranged to be continuously driven to rind any sludge or heavy particles of oil whi ch will naturally descend by gravity to the bottom of the chamber, an outlet being provided in the top of the chamber and preferably at the center thereof, to carry off the light oil to the line or to any suitable container which may be provided for the purose.

p The above and ancillary objects may be attained by providing a vertical cylindrical chamber, the oil inlet being provided at one side thereof and spaced from the top of the chamber in order to give the incoming oil a whirling motion inside of the chamber. The

outlet being at the center of the top of the chamber, which is the area of the light oil and of substantially no motion, only the lighter portions of the oil in the chamber will pass through the outlet.

The heavier portions of sludge will by centrifugal force gradually flow to the outer portion of the chamber and contact with the side walls thereof, and then by a difference in specific gravity these heavier portions will settle down to the lower end of the tank and by centrifugal force will be carried to the outside and into the ball or roller race where the act1on of the balls or rolls grinds these heavier portlons and sludge, and as the grinding process continues the lighter portions of oil will separate, dissolve and rise to the top flowing out with the oil stream through the outlet pipe.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved oil mill showin a single race of grinding balls for grinding the sludge and heavy particles of oil;

F 1g. 2, a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of a slightly modified form of the mill showing a plurality of races of grinding balls decreasing in diameter from the outside toward the center of the mill;

Fig. 3, a similar View of a still further modification showing tapered grinding rollers, and

Fig. 4, a variation of the form shown in Fig. 3, showing the tapered rollers provlded with teeth arranged to mesh with teeth upon the bottom race member of the mill.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

The mill comprises a vertical tank 1, preferably cylindrical and provided with an oil inlet pipe 2 at a point intermediate the top and bottom of the tank and preferably extending tangentially into the peripheral portion of the tank to cause a whirling motion of the oil within the tank.

The oil outlet pipe 3 is located at the cen tral portions of the top of the tank which is the area of the lightest oil and of substantially no motion of the oil.

The mill may be arranged to be driven by means of an electric motor 4, mounted upon a bracket 5, at one side of the tank, the motor pulley 6 being connected, as by the belt 7, with the drive pulley 8, upon the worm shaft 9, journaled in suitable bearings 10 and 11, mounted upon the tank in any suitable manner.

This worm shaft extends into the tank and is provided with the worm 12, arranged to mesh with a worm wheel 13, upon the vertical shaft 14, axially located within the tank and journaled in bearings 15 and 16.

An annular raceway 17 is formed at the lower end of the tank being located at the peripheral portion thereof, to receive the grinding balls 18 which may substantially fill the raceway.

In order to drive the grinding balls, an inclined radial arm 19 is fixed upon the shaft 14, and extended down between two of the balls, so that the grinding balls are continuously driven around the raceway by the rotation of the shaft 14, grinding the sludge and heavy particles of oil which descend by specific gravity and are continuously thrown outward to the raceway by centrifugal action of the 011, the light oil continuously ascending through the axial center of the tank to the outlet pipe 3. D

-In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of raceways 17 may be provided at the lower end of the tank, a series of courses of grinding balls 18, preferably d1 minishing in size toward the center of the tank, being located in the raceways and arranged to be all driven by one or more arms 19 carried upon the shaft 14.

InFig. 3, the bottom of the tank may be provided with a single outwardly inclined raceway 17", in which are located a series of conical rollers 18 arranged to be driven by one or more arms 19. carried by the shaft 14.

A modification of the form shown in Fig. 3 is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the inclined raceway 17 may be provided with teeth 17 forming substantially a fixed bevel gear upon which the rollers 18 are mounted. These rollers are tapered and provided with teeth 18, being in the form of a plurality of bevel pinions journaled at their outer ends in the arms 19 carried by the shaft 14.

In each of the forms of the invention the action is substantially the same, the heavier particles of oil and the sludge being thrown b centrifugal force to the peripheral portion of the tank and descending into the raceways to be ground by the rolling elements, the lighter portions of the oil continuously ascending through the axial center of the tank to the outlet pipe.

In each case a drain pipe 21 may be provided in the bottom of the tank to remove any unground sediment which may collect therein, as well as to drain ofif water which will separate from the oil and settle to the bottom.

I claim:

1. An oil mill including an upright chamber, means for admitting oil tangentially to the chamber and for producing centrifugal action of the oil to separate the oil into light and heavy portions and to allow the heavy portions of the oil to settle downward to the bottom of the chamber, grinding means in the peripheral portion of the bottom of the chamber for grinding heavy portions of the oil, and an oil outlet at the axial center of the top of the chamber.

2. An oil mill including an upright chamber, means for admitting oil tangentially into the chamber at a point intermediate the top and bottom of the chamber, means for separating the oil into light and heavy portions to allow the heavy portions of the 011 to settle downward to the bottom of the chaminediate the top and bottom of the chamber,

means for separating the oil into light and heavy portions, grinding means at the bottom of the chamber for grinding heavy portions of the oil and an oil outlet at the axial center of the top of the chamber.

4. An oil mill including an upright chamber, means for admitting oil to the chamber, means for separating the oil into light and heavy portions, a raceway at the bottom of the chamber, rolling elements in the raceway, means for driving said rolling elements around the raceway to grind heavy portions of the oil, and an oil outlet at the axial center of the top of the chamber.

5. An oil mill including an upright chamber, means for admitting oil to the chamber, means for separating the oil into light and heavy portions, a raceway at the bottom of the chamber, rolling elements decreasing in diameter from the periphery toward the center of the chamber, located in said raceway, means for driving said rolling elements around the raceway to grind heavy portions of the oil and an oil outlet at the axial center of the top of the chamber.

6. An oil mill including an upright chamber, means for admitting oil to the chamber, means for separating the oil into light and heavy portions, a raceway at the bottom of the chamber, rolling elements in the raceway, a driven shaft in the chamber, an arm carried by the shaft and associated with the rolling elements for driving them around the raceway to grind heavy portions of the oil, and an oil outlet at the axial center of the top of the chamber.

7. An oil mill including an upright chamber, means for admitting oil to the chamber, means for separating the oil into light and heavy portions, a raceway at the bottom of the chamber, tapered rolling elements in the raceway, means for driving said rolling elements around the raceway to grind heavy portions of the oil, and an oil outlet at the axial center of the top of the chamber.

8. An oil mill including a chamber, means for admitting oil to the chamber, means for separating the oil into light and heavy ortions, a toothed raceway at the bottom 0 the chamber, toothed tapered rolling elements in the raceway, means for driving the rolling elements around the raceway to grind heavy the chamber for driving the worm wheel, means for driving the worm, and an oil out- 10 %)et at the axial center of the top of the cham- In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBT. C. HOPKINS. 

